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Part III: In The City with NELSON NYC

New York City is home to the largest population of designers in the country. Over 45,000 creatives work within the city limits each day making it a global hub for inspiration and creativity. NELSON New York is proud to be part of this community, designing some of the city’s most innovative environments, from corporate offices to retail flagships. To highlight all the exciting things going on “In The City” and at NELSON Worldwide, we’re unwrapping a three-part series that introduces some of our creative leaders and shares their thoughts on New York City’s design landscape.

Part I of our three-part In The City with NELSON NYC series introduces you to Alan Dandron, Creative Managing Director of NELSON NYC.


Q: Who are you as a designer? Tell us more.

As a designer, my goal is to understand and help establish a client’s goals in order to provide the best solutions.  I’m a firm believer that the best design is the product of a  collaborative process. Below you’ll see a few photos one of NELSON NYC’s latest workplace projects!

Q: 6 words that describe what it’s like to be a designer in NYC. Go!

Exciting.
inspirational.
Fast-paced.
Evolving.
Flexible.
Collaborative.

Q: What are some architecture and interior design trends in NYC you’re seeing at the moment?

Today there is a big push for designers to create highly collaborative workspaces.  Successful spaces respond to this by creating an environment that actively encourages and inspires teams to work together in new ways.  These types of workspaces are often highly flexible making it easy for the space to change as teams and organizations do. Another trend I see in workplace design today is the creation of spaces that are informal in nature. These are unique spaces that respond to a more informal way of working resulting in spaces that are specially designed for the acitivites and processes of a specific company.

Q: How has the design landscape in NYC changed over time?

Over time, the pace at which projects are completed in NYC has changed. The design processes of projects are no longer linear, requiring an overlapping of phases.  Technology, specifically Building Information Modeling software has helped us to work smarter and faster as the design landscape advances and changes.

Q: What is the biggest challenge for design/designers in NYC?

In New York City, we are, for the most part working with a very sophisticated client.  This type of work requires keeping up on the latest trends in technology to convey the design story as well as keeping up with the constant shift in workplace design.  Another challenge in the city is navigating the expenses of NYC real estate. It is important to keep cost in mind so that we are creating spaces that will be relevant to the life of the lease for the client.

Q: What are your favorite types of projects to work on?

My favorite projects are the ones where our teams help clients implement a change in work style or culture.  Creating spaces that will reinforce a new way of working is exciting to me and I enjoy the constant collaboration with both the client, consultants, and designers these projects require.

Q: What’s it like to work at NELSON NYC?

At NELSON NYC everyone is extremely supportive of one another. There are no egos and everyone understands the value of feedback and using each other as a resource.  In addition to this, everyone understands that our success is measured by the success of our clients projects.

 

Interface: Biophilic Design and Better Brain Health At Emory MCIEP

Numerous publications on biophilic design show the benefits to those who live, work and heal in those spaces. The Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) Empowerment Program (MCIEP) aims to support individuals experiencing early declines in memory, a condition that impacts nearly one out of every five Americans over the age of 65. Generous support from the James M. Cox Foundation and Cox Enterprises allowed the Emory Brain Health Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Institute for People and Technology to create a space for the MCIEP that fosters patient comfort and independence while also offering flexibility for various studies, patient activities and other uses. With these priorities in mind, the MCIEP design team selected Interface flooring for its biophilic design properties and Evidence Based Design (EBD) performance characteristics that support the program’s mission. Read the full case study here.

Lodging: Sustainable Hotel Design in the Post-Pandemic Era

As the hospitality industry begins to ramp up following a year of navigating through the pandemic, now may be an opportune time for hoteliers to elevate efforts that address another global crisis: climate change. These crises may, in fact, be linked, according to a recent study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, which examined global bat diversity and the emergence of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.

Read the full article on Lodging.

Hotel Management: Wellness Healthy Habitats

“The building’s interior materials have low volatile organic compounds content. This along with the use of light-colored and warm natural materials within the Element brand also promotes a feelings of healthiness.”

Teammate Cheryl Smith describes some of the wellness elements incorporated into our project with the W Element Hotel. Read more with Hotel Management here.